List Of Mammals Of The Marshall Islands
This is a list of mammals of the Marshall Islands. There is one land
mammal, the Polynesian rat. There are 27 marine mammals, one of which
has been classified as vulnerable, the humpback whale.[1]Contents1 Marine mammals1.1 Whales
1.2 Dolphins2 Notes
3 External referencesMarine mammals[edit]
The 27 marine animals consist mostly of whales, dolphins, and
porpoises.
Whales[edit]Spinner dolphinWhales include Humpback whales, Ginkgo-toothed beaked whale,
Blainville's beaked whale,[1] blue whale, sei whale, Fin whale, and
sperm whale.[2]
Dolphins[edit]
Dolphins include Spinner dolphin, Fraser's dolphin, Long-beaked common
dolphin, and Pygmy killer whale.[1]
Notes[edit]^ a b c [1]
^ [2]External references[edit]"The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Mammals of the Marshall
Islands". IUCN. 2001. Retrieved 22 May 2007. [dead link]
"Mammal Species of the World". Smithsonian National Museum of Natural
History. 2005. Archived from the original on 27 April 2007
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Polynesian Rat
The Polynesian rat, or Pacific rat (
RattusRattus exulans), known to the
Māori as kiore, is the third most widespread species of rat in the
world behind the brown rat and black rat. The Polynesian rat
originated in Southeast Asia, and like its relatives, has become
widespread, migrating to most Polynesian islands, including New
Zealand, Easter Island, and Hawaii. It shares high adaptability with
other rat species extending to many environments, from grasslands to
forests. It is also closely associated with humans, who provide easy
access to food. It has become a major pest in most areas of its
distribution.Contents1 Description
2 Distribution and habitat
3 Behaviour3.1 Diet4
RatRat control and bird conservation4.1 New Zealand
4.2 Rest of Pacific5 References
6 External linksDescription[edit]
The
Polynesian ratPolynesian rat is similar in appearance to other rats, such as the
black rat and the brown rat
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Fin Whale
The fin whale (
BalaenopteraBalaenoptera physalus), also known as finback whale or
common rorqual and formerly known as herring whale or razorback whale,
is a marine mammal belonging to the parvorder of baleen whales. It is
the second-largest mammalian on the Earth after the blue whale.[7] The
largest reportedly grow to 27.3 m (89.6 ft) long[8] with a
maximum confirmed length of 25.9 m (85 ft),[9] a maximum
recorded weight of nearly 74 tonnes (73 long tons; 82 short tons),[10]
and a maximum estimated weight of around 114 tonnes (112 long tons;
126 short tons). American naturalist
Roy Chapman AndrewsRoy Chapman Andrews called the
fin whale "the greyhound of the sea ... for its beautiful, slender
body is built like a racing yacht and the animal can surpass the speed
of the fastest ocean steamship."[11]
The fin whale's body is long and slender, coloured brownish-grey with
a paler underside
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Pygmy Killer Whale
The pygmy killer whale (Feresa attenuata) is a poorly known and rarely
seen oceanic dolphin.[2] It derives its common name from sharing some
physical characteristics with the killer whale. It is the smallest
species that has "whale" in its common name.[3] Although the species
has been known to be extremely aggressive in captivity, this
aggressive behavior has not been observed in the wild.[4]
The species had been described by John Gray in 1874, based on two
skulls identified in 1827 and 1874. The next recorded sighting was in
1952 which led to its formal naming by Japanese cetologist Munesato
Yamada in 1954.[5]Contents1 Description1.1 Early records
1.2 Distinguishing from other dolphin species2 Echolocation and hearing
3 Population and distribution
4 Conservation
5 See also
6 References
7 External linksDescription[edit]Skeleton of a pygmy killer whaleThe pygmy killer whale is dark gray to black on the cape and has a
sharp change to lighter gray on the sides
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Fraser's DolphinFraser's dolphinFraser's dolphin (Lagenodelphis hosei) or the
SarawakSarawak dolphin is a
cetacean in the family
DelphinidaeDelphinidae found in deep waters in the Pacific
Ocean and to a lesser extent in the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.Contents1 Taxonomy
2 Description
3 Population and distribution
4 Conservation
5 See also
6 Footnotes
7 References
8 Further reading
9 External linksTaxonomy[edit]
In 1895,
Charles E. HoseCharles E. Hose found a skull on a beach in Sarawak, Borneo.
He donated it to the British Museum. The skull remained unstudied
until 1956 when Francis Fraser[1] examined it and concluded that it
was similar to species in both the genera
LagenorhynchusLagenorhynchus and Delphinus
but not the same as either. A new genus was created by simply merging
these two names together
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Sperm Whale
Physeter catodon Linnaeus, 1758
Physeter australasianus Desmoulins, 1822The sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) or cachalot /ˈkæʃəˌlɒt,
ˈkæʃəˌloʊ/ is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest
toothed predator. It is the only living member of genus Physeter and
one of three extant species in the sperm whale family, along with the
pygmy sperm whale and dwarf sperm whale of the genus Kogia.
The sperm whale is a pelagic mammal with a worldwide range, and will
migrate seasonally for feeding and breeding.[3] Females and young
males live together in groups while mature males live solitary lives
outside of the mating season. The females cooperate to protect and
nurse their young. Females give birth every four to twenty years, and
care for the calves for more than a decade
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Long-beaked Common Dolphin
The long-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus capensis) is a species of
common dolphin. It has a more restricted range than the short-beaked
common dolphin (D. delphis). It has a disjointed range in coastal
areas in tropical and warmer temperate oceans. The range includes
parts of western and southern Africa, much of western South America,
central
CaliforniaCalifornia to central Mexico, coastal Peru, areas around
Japan,
KoreaKorea and Taiwan, and possibly near Oman.[1][3] Vagrants have
been recorded as far north as Vancouver Island. They live in shallow,
warmer temperature waters near the coast
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Sei Whale
The sei whale (/ˈseɪ/ or /ˈsaɪ/) (
BalaenopteraBalaenoptera borealis) is a
baleen whale, the third-largest rorqual after the blue whale and the
fin whale.[3] It inhabits most oceans and adjoining seas, and prefers
deep offshore waters.[4] It avoids polar and tropical waters and
semienclosed bodies of water
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Humpback Whale
The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen
whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from
12–16 m (39–52 ft) and weigh about 36,000 kg
(79,000 lb). The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with long
pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is known for breaching and other
distinctive surface behaviors, making it popular with whale watchers.
Males produce a complex song lasting 10 to 20 minutes, which they
repeat for hours at a time. Its purpose is not clear, though it may
have a role in mating.
Found in oceans and seas around the world, humpback whales typically
migrate up to 25,000 km (16,000 mi) each year. Humpbacks
feed in polar waters, and migrate to tropical or subtropical waters to
breed and give birth when they fast and live off their fat reserves.
Their diet consists mostly of krill and small fish
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Blainville's Beaked WhaleBlainville's beaked whaleBlainville's beaked whale (
MesoplodonMesoplodon densirostris), or the
dense-beaked whale, is the widest ranging mesoplodont whale and
perhaps the most documented. The French zoologist Henri de Blainville
first described the species in 1817 from a small piece of jaw — the
heaviest bone he had ever come across — which resulted in the name
densirostris (Latin for "dense beak").[2] Off the northeastern
Bahamas, the animals are particularly well documented, and a photo
identification project started sometime after 2002.Contents1 Taxonomy
2 Description
3 Population and distribution
4 Behavior
5 Conservation
6 Specimens
7 Gallery
8 References
9 External linksTaxonomy[edit]
Blainville named the species Delphinus densirostris, based on the
description of a nine-inch piece of rostrum of unknown origin housed
in the Paris Museum
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Ginkgo-toothed Beaked Whale
The ginkgo-toothed beaked whale (
MesoplodonMesoplodon ginkgodens) is a poorly
known species of whale even for a beaked whale, and was named for the
unusual shape of its dual teeth. It is a fairly typical-looking
species, but is notable for the males not having any scarring.Contents1 Description
2 Population and distribution
3 Behavior
4 Conservation
5 Specimens
6 References
7 External linksDescription[edit]
Ginkgo-toothed beaked whales are more robust than most mesoplodonts,
but otherwise look fairly typical. Halfway through the jaw, there is a
sharp curve up where the ginkgo leaf-shaped tooth is. Unlike other
species such as
Blainville's beaked whaleBlainville's beaked whale and Andrews' beaked whale,
the teeth do not arch over the rostrum. The beak itself is of a
moderate length
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Humpback Whales
The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen
whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from
12–16 m (39–52 ft) and weigh about 36,000 kg
(79,000 lb). The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with long
pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is known for breaching and other
distinctive surface behaviors, making it popular with whale watchers.
Males produce a complex song lasting 10 to 20 minutes, which they
repeat for hours at a time. Its purpose is not clear, though it may
have a role in mating.
Found in oceans and seas around the world, humpback whales typically
migrate up to 25,000 km (16,000 mi) each year. Humpbacks
feed in polar waters, and migrate to tropical or subtropical waters to
breed and give birth when they fast and live off their fat reserves.
Their diet consists mostly of krill and small fish
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Spinner Dolphin
The spinner dolphin (
Stenella longirostris) is a small dolphin found
in off-shore tropical waters around the world. It is famous for its
acrobatic displays in which it spins along its longitudinal axis as it
leaps through the air. It is a member of the family
DelphinidaeDelphinidae of
toothed whales.Contents1 Taxonomy
2 Description
3 Ecology
4 Behavior and life history4.1 Spinning behavior5 Conservation status
6 Images
7 See also
8 References
9 External linksTaxonomy[edit]
The spinner dolphin is sometimes referred to as the long-snouted
dolphin, particularly in older texts, to distinguish it from the
similar Clymene dolphin, which is often called the short-snouted
spinner dolphin. The species was described by John Gray in 1828. The
four named subspecies are:Eastern spinner dolphin (S. l. orientalis), from the tropical eastern
Pacific.
Central American or Costa Rican spinner dolphin (S
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Blue Whale
The blue whale (
BalaenopteraBalaenoptera musculus) is a marine mammal belonging to
the baleen whales (Mysticeti).[3] At up to 29.9 metres (98 ft)[4]
in length and with a maximum recorded weight of 173 tonnes (190 short
tons)[4] and probably reaching over 181 tonnes (200 short tons), it is
the largest animal known to have ever existed.[5][6]
Long and slender, the blue whale's body can be various shades of
bluish-grey dorsally and somewhat lighter underneath.[7] There are at
least three distinct subspecies: B. m. musculus of the North Atlantic
and North Pacific, B. m. intermedia of the
Southern OceanSouthern Ocean and B. m.
brevicauda (also known as the pygmy blue whale) found in the Indian
Ocean and South Pacific Ocean. B. m. indica, found in the Indian
Ocean, may be another subspecies
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